1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus having a plurality of modules.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventionally, as an image forming apparatus having a plurality of modules, an image forming apparatus having a reader for reading an image on an original and a printer for recording an image on a sheet has been well known. Particularly, there has been known a digital signal type image forming apparatus in which image information on the original, read with the reader, is converted to electric signals and communicated to a printer, where a corresponding image is recorded on a sheet based on the electric signals.
More specifically, an image forming apparatus 101, as shown in FIG. 11, has been proposed (see Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No.2004-184982). An image forming apparatus 101 shown in FIG. 11 includes a supporting base 103, which supports a scanner unit 102 and a printer unit 104. This supporting base 103 is composed of a supporting portion 119 formed in a flat form, two supporting side portions 120 fixed on two corners of four corners of the supporting portion 119 such that they are directed downward, and supporting leg portions 121 extending substantially horizontally from the bottom end portions of the supporting side portions 120. As shown in FIG. 11, in the image forming apparatus 101, a scanner unit 102 is provided on the top face of the supporting base 103 and a printer unit 104 is provided inside the supporting base 103. Further, a control unit 105 is installed on the outer side face of the supporting base 103 and image information is converted to electric signals by the scanner unit 102 and transported to the control unit 105, and a corresponding image is recorded by the printer unit 104 based on image information received by the control unit 105.
A control board (not shown) is fixed inside the control unit 105. This control board is composed of a main control portion 130 and a memory portion 131 as shown in a block diagram of the entire apparatus of FIG. 12. The main control portion 130 reads out a program and the like memorized in a memory portion 131 corresponding to an instruction signal inputted from an operating portion 135 and sends a control signal to a reading control portion 133 of the scanner unit 102. A signal read by a reading portion 132 of the scanner unit 102 is processed by the reading control portion 133 and inputted to the main control portion 130. A memory portion 134 is connected to the reading control portion 133, in which a program and the like necessary for read processing are memorized. Processing information and error information are transmitted from the main control portion 130 to a display portion 136 as required and displayed thereon. A read signal from the reading control portion 133 is processed by the main control portion 133 and sent to the printer control portion 138 of the printer unit 104. The printer control portion 138 reads out information necessary for a record memorized in the memory portion 139 and controls an image recording portion 137 so as to record an image on a sheet. Then, information about printer processing is transmitted from the printer control portion 138 to the main control portion 130.
With such a structure, the function of the image forming apparatus can be changed by changing a control board inside the control unit 105 corresponding to the structure of the apparatus to exchange the module corresponding to customer needs (see Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2004-184982).
However, in the above-described conventional structure, variation of exchanging of the module is limited because the size and form of the supporting base 103 cannot be changed, thereby making it difficult to meet customer needs delicately.
Further, the quantity of the control boards may be reduced depending on a combination of the modules because the size of the control unit 105 which fixes the control boards is constant and in this case, the internal space of the control unit is wasted. On the other hand, additional installation of the control boards is limited to the internal space within the control unit 105.
Accordingly, a first object of the present invention is to provide an image forming apparatus, which allows variation of the configuration thereof to increase so as to meet customer needs delicately.
A second object of the present invention is to provide an image forming apparatus capable of securing an accommodation space of a control board for controlling the module without excess or shortage even if the quantity of the modules which constitute the apparatus is increased or decreased.